Our team is ready to fight the pharmaceutical companies who have made it clear they are putting profit before patient's lives.

— Michael Monheit, Esq.

Before the 20th century almost anyone could produce “medications” and sell them with little or no regulations and frequently, the people purchasing those drugs had no idea what was in them or what the potential side effects could be. For example, did you know that cocaine was once sold as a drop for toothaches and given to small children? Or that Bayer, the international pharmaceutical giant started selling heroin in 1898 as a cough suppressant?

Recognizing the need for regulation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was established in 1906 and since that time, the administration has worked to create a series of application processes for any company looking to put a new drug on the market. But even this process doesn’t prevent drugs with dangerous side effects from becoming popular. That’s why product liability laws exist, to protect those harmed by medications. If a pharmaceutical company fails to warn patients about a side effect they knew about or should have known about, they risk being named the defendant in a lawsuit.

What Can A Lawsuit Provide A Plaintiff With?

Through either a court verdict or carefully negotiated settlement, a plaintiff may recover compensation that will cover their medical bills, lost wages, physical pain and suffering, and in some cases, emotional trauma.

Sadly, sometimes the patient doesn't survive - but that doesn't mean a lawsuit is no longer an option. The surviving loved ones may have the option of filing a wrongful death lawsuit, recovering funeral and burial expense, lost income, and loss of consortium.

Kombiglyze: A Brief Look

In 2011, the pharmaceutical manufacturers Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca received the FDA approval for Kombigylze. Like their other Type 2 diabetes drug, Onglyza, this drug encourages the pancreas to make additional insulin and also pushes the liver to stop making extra sugar. The other way that Kombiglyze is like it’s predecessor is that it contains the active ingredient saxagliptin.

2013 Study Shows Risk Of Heart Failure

On October 3rd, 2013, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study which showed that patients with Type 2 diabetes who were given a drug containing saxagliptin had a 26% increased risk of developing heart failure compared to patients who were given a placebo.

When news of the study’s findings reached the FDA, the administration ordered a panel to review the safety of the drug. Although some of the panel members were in favor of pulling all drugs containing saxagliptin from the market, it was ultimately determined that the next step would be to issue a black box warning.

The FDA’s Strictest Warning

When the FDA issues a black box warning, doctors pay special attention. This means that it has been discovered that a drug has one or more serious side effects which could potentially be fatal if given to a patient.

Heart Attacks & Heart Failure Cost Patients Thousands

Did you know that heart attacks are the number one killer of both men and women? Those that do survive this horrible experience are often left with scar tissue and muscle damage which means that the heart isn’t able to pump blood as effectively as it once did. Depending on how much damage is done, the patient may end up in chronic heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure.

Depending on how poor their condition is, patients with congestive heart failure may need surgery, medications, hospitalizations, bloodwork, and at home nursing care. Sadly, heart failure has the highest rate of readmittance to the hospital within 30 days and the average stay is 5 days. Given the amount of care needed, it’s not surprising that patients often find themselves deep in debt due to thousands of dollars in medical care.

As if all of this wasn’t stressful enough, it’s not uncommon for patients to develop other health conditions because of the heart disease. For example, due to poor blood flow, many patients also develop kidney failure because the kidneys are not receiving enough nutrient rich blood. Others retain fluids that put pressure on the liver and if not addressed, damages the liver.

While heart disease can certainly be linked to genetics or a poor diet, sometimes it’s the side effects of a drug that cause a medical condition that otherwise wouldn’t have occurred. When this happens, it may be possible for the patient to pursue legal action against a manufacturer who has failed to warn them about a possible side effect.

Kombiglyze Lawsuits

Across the country, patients are choosing to file Kombiglyze lawsuits in order to obtain compensation, to seek justice against the parties whose negligence caused them harm, and to warn others of the dangers associated with the drug.

How Our Lawyers Can Help

Our team believes that when a company fails to keep consumers safe, they should be held responsible. Our goal is to make sure that everyone who contacts us is fully aware of all of their legal options. Together, we will go over every aspect of the case, collect evidence, speak with insurance representatives, and prepare for trial.

Do All Cases Go To Trial?

No. In fact, the majority of cases are settled out of court through careful negotiation. However, there is no way to predict which cases will settle and which won’t, and we believe that it is important to prepare for trial from the beginning. This isn’t an experience to be feared and not only do we prepare the case for trial but we also prepare our clients for court.